St Helens rugby league stars Jon Wilkin and Robbie Paul have given their support to bid being led by the Co-Operative to get the sport, played by a million women and girls a week in Britain, into the Games.

 

The Co-operative, sponsors of the netball Superleague and Co-operative National Leagues and Conference in rugby league, have lent their support to England Netball in lobbying for the sport to be played at the greatest stage of all.
 
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has indicated his desire for netball to become a demonstration sport at the London 2012 Olympics..
 
British international Wilkin said: “I’m fully supportive of netball’s Olympic bid.

 

"Like rugby league, netball is played and has its roots in communities.

 

"It plays a vital part socially and the number of people participating each week speaks for itself.
 
“I’ve actually spent time training with the England team as part of a Great Britain camp we had, and I was hugely impressed by how talented the players were.

 

"It possesses similar attributes to our sport too, in its speed, passing, handling skills, and team work.

 

"I have a mutual appreciation for all sports men and women, and feel that netball should be given the chance on the Olympic stage.”
 
Pau said: “When I grew up in New Zealand I played quite a bit of netball and it’s a fantastic sport.

 

"It’s very popular around the world, as I’ve seen further since coming to England, and I feel it’s only right that it should be allowed to compete at an Olympic level. 
 
“The sport is becoming even bigger in this country with the growth of the netball Superleague, and increased exposure on TV, and participation at the Olympics would be a further boost to the sport and all associated with it.”
 
People are being urged to show their support by signing up to the Facebook group “Bid to get netball in the 2012 Olympics”, which was set-up by current England international Eboni Beckford-Chambers.

 

The group currently has over 18,000 members.

 

But the earliest that the sport can get into the Olympics is 2020 as the sports programme for London was decided by the International Olympic Committee at its session in July 2005 and netball is not among the seven sports put forward who are battling it out to be included in the 2016 Games.